Night Stalker
by PurpleLightningDeathAngel
Summary: A young girl and a not so young vampire enter into a new world for the very first time...
1. Prelude

Sven was a normal teenage boy in his time. He was a hard working, 13th century farm kid, not too dull, not too bright. Every day he rose at first light to sprint around his village. After his daily chores were done, he would take the dagger his grandfather had left him out of its hiding place under the bed and train. Sven aspired to one day leave his home and go to a far off kingdom. He vowed to become a knight for his kingdom's royal family.

Late one night Sven lay awake thinking of attaining knighthood. He just could not bring himself to sleep. He sat up in bed and saw that the moon was full. It would be bright enough to light the path to the forest. He dressed and contemplated taking his dagger, but decided there was no need. As Sven exited his cottage, he took in a gulp of the crisp night air.

"Ah!" he proclaimed. "A beautiful night this is!"

Sven walked along the narrow path and came to the forest edge. He delved deeper into the trees, marveling at the way the night seemed to change his perspective on everything. The trees seemed to be coated in a dull silver hue. Sven thought they resembled knights in armor. He could not help but wonder if he would ever bear that same greatness.

As he stared at his surroundings, he failed to notice a dark figure crouched in the high branches of an old oak. However, the figure did notice Sven and was extremely interested in him.

The next night, Sven went for another walk, the now waning moon still bright enough to light his way. He was visited by a man in the gloomy starlight. The man seemed to just melt out of the shadows, as if he was a part of them. He had the strangest aura about him. It was as if this fellow was the most dangerous thing Sven had ever laid eyes on.

The stranger wore a long, navy blue cloak with the hood up, obscuring his face from view.

As the man walked closer, Sven began to back away. Then he remembered that a true warrior would never do such a thing, and placed his feet firmly on the ground.

"Who are you?" Sven asked.

"I am the night." said the man. "The last of my kind. You seem to be a good strong boy. I shall give you boundless power tonight. Use it well."

"What?" Sven whispered, alarmed, and yet interested to find out what the man was offering.

"At tomorrow's dawn, I will give myself to the Sun. Be careful with your new gifts, for I will not be there to guide you."

Sven had heard of the "roving monsters" that disguised themselves as normal people and fed on humans. Sven realized, in the back of his mind, that was what he was conversing with now. Sven screamed and tried to run, but the man caught him by the wrist with a crushing grip.

"Fear the Sun, young one. Stay away from the light."

And, with that, the man drew back his hood with his other hand.

He was deathly pale. The stranger had blonde, unkempt hair. But, most striking about him was his deep red eyes. His dull orbs glittered dangerously in the moon light.

Sven once again tried to escape, but the grip on his hand was simply too strong.

"You shall be the strongest being in existence. A vampire."

Sven's eyes widened in terror as the man drew closer to him. _This is the end_, he thought.

Sven closed his eyes tight, in fear of what was to come.

He felt a sharp pain, as the stranger's fangs sunk into the soft flesh of his neck.

The pain subsided almost immediately into an icy numbness.

The last thing Sven heard before he was consumed by darkness was the vampire's words:

"Ours is a needed race. We keep the balance in the world. If the sun ever finds you, make sure you have a successor in place."

When Sven came to, he was still in the forest, but the man was no where to be seen. He stood and felt the side of his neck. There was no indication that anything had happened. Had he imagined it?

Sven just couldn't figure it out. He wasn't imaginative enough to make up something that real.

He punched a nearby tree in frustration.

Crack.

Sven jumped back in surprise when the tree snapped almost completely in half, and came toppling down.

He leaped to the side, to avoid the falling tree. Sven landed about 40 feet away. His eyes widened in shock. He was the strongest boy in the village, but he knew he shouldn't be able to bring down a tree. And he had never heard of any man or beast that could leap that far.

Sven looked down at his hands and realized that he could see in much better detail than he ever remembered doing.

When he looked away from his palms and to his finger tips he discovered something else. His fingernails were no long human nails. They had erupted into short, sharp claws.

Sven then knew that the man had not been a dream. He was now the same as the man. He was a vampire.

He couldn't go home like this. Was there a way to change back? Of course there wasn't. Vampires were living dead. There was no way to reverse that. Did that mean he was dead now?

Sven was thinking very hard on this when his eyes began to water. He looked to the east and saw that dawn was almost upon him. He remembered the man's words. "Fear the sun." he had said.

He ran to the nearest hollow he could find. He knew that even this much cover would not be enough. Sven used his new found power to dig a fairly deep hole, just big enough for him to lie in. He dived into the ground and covered himself with dirt.

Only after he had done that did he realize that he would not be able to breathe this way. Sven panicked and held his breath, because he could not go back into the light now. He was suffocating. But, when he let out the oxygen he had been holding, and was sure he would black out…nothing happened.

He lay there, unable to move in his tight quarters waiting for death, until he remembered that he was already dead. Of course he didn't have to breathe.

Sven began berating himself for getting all worked up and let the thought of his death settle in on him. Yes, he truly was one of the undead now.

With this in mind, Sven closed his eyes and went into a deeper slumber than he had ever experienced.

He slept there until the hunger for another's life force settled in on him that night.

Sven dug himself out of his hiding place and looked around. The night was still young.

But the burning inside him, the complete agony would not let him think about much else then.

He needed blood. The thought of it made Sven sick, but he had no choice. The vampire he had met the previous night had told him he was needed in the world. That he kept the balance. He did not quite know what this had meant, but somehow, he knew this to be true. He couldn't just kill himself. This world needed him.

Sven refused to even think about feeding on the villagers, his former friends. For many days he hunted the animals of the forest, each moment learning more about his newfound prowess and learning of the pain the hunger could bring.

During this learning process, he figured out that he could sense the life force of any living thing. He caught his prey much easier this way. Sven eventually became confident in this power, and began to search for a powerful life form. The form of the man that had turned him into a vampire.

He found no such thing. The stranger really had given himself to the sun, then. He wished he hadn't, so Sven could pulverize him for what he had done.

He adopted a new name in the time spent in the forest. He was no longer Sven the farm boy. He knew he could never go back to that life. He was now Sven Von Fredericks, the stalker of the night. Sven thought it suited him. Unfortunately, he knew that wasn't a good thing.

He came to hate himself and fled from the eyes of the world. The people might need him alive, but they didn't need him doing anything for them aside from that. Sven decided to shut the pain of living out. Just because he couldn't die, didn't mean he had to live this way. Sven would sleep through the years, never to worry about his problems again. He used his magical powers to cast a powerful sleeping charm on himself. He settled into a fitful slumber for 700 years, constantly reminded of what he had become in his dreams.


	2. Chapter One

In present day Romania, a young girl stomped through the woods, wandering aimlessly with a large basket filled to the brim with wood.

She had been sent out by her father to get firewood for the coming winter months.

"Get out there and get some wood, before it gets too cold!" her father had said.

She silently cursed her father for being too cheap to pay for full time electricity in the winter. She understood that being a single parent in a small town in Europe, her father did not have the money for many luxuries. But, she wished that just one winter she would not have to worry about huddling by the fire for warmth.

She loved the man dearly, but, at the moment she was very upset with him. If only he had not turned down that job as an office worker for the lumber company, they would have the money to pay for heating during the colder part of the year!

"They are scum, scamming people and hurting the natural way of life just for their own personal gain." he had tried to explained to her, but she didn't care. They were other people; let someone who cared save the trees. She and her father should only worry about themselves!

She stopped under a tall tree and looked up, into the sunlight streaming through the branches. _There are plenty of trees all over the world. Who cares? They are just plants. If something like a tree could cause this much trouble, they should be cut down!_ She immediately felt bad for thinking this way.

"What are you thinking?" she scolded herself.

Her father had raised her better than that.

She remembered the way she had stormed out of their house.

"Fine!" She had shouted. "I'll get your dumb firewood! Though you should be getting it yourself, since you are the one who opted not to pay for electric heating!"

How hurt her father had looked when she had slammed the back door in his face.

She knew she should really go back home and apologize. She never wanted her father to have that look on his face again.

She sighed and turned around to begin the two mile walk back to her home. She would really hate seeing her father's hurt face, but, she had no other option.

Suddenly, the ground beneath her began to shake.

"What the?"

The earth she was standing on collapsed under her. She screamed and closed her eyes, thinking God was punishing her for being so horrible towards her dad.

She fell through a hole in the earth and found herself in a long, ancient tunnel that led deep into an endless darkness.

Well, she wasn't dead, and aside from a bump on the back of her head, she seemed to be fine. This may have been the break she had been hoping for. It would give her a good excuse to forestall seeing her father.

"I may as well have a look around." she said under her breath, half wondering if anyone could hear her.

For hours she walked, every step of the way telling herself to turn back, yet being drawn in by an indescribable force. Eventually, she came upon a large door. It was masterfully crafted, with ornate carvings of angels in an epic battle with the minions of darkness. Curiosity struck, and she tugged at the door. It opened easily, without a sound.

A large room with ancient wall hangings lay beyond the door.

The air in the room was stagnate and musty. The girl knew this room must not have been opened in over a hundred years.

She took a step inside and let her eyes adjust to the dim light.

What she saw when her sight had adjusted made her freeze.

There, in the middle of the darkened room, lay a dusty coffin.

She had read stories about vampires before. She had seen the old Dracula movies played on the projector in the village library. She knew that this was the point that she should truly be scared. But she wasn't. The room had a hanging feeling of sadness, as if something dear was lost, and could never be found. Every bit of common sense within her told her to run, but she just couldn't. She had to see what was giving off this strange vibe.

She approached the coffin, placing her steps silently, and carefully, so as not to arouse the wrath of whatever lay deeper within the room. When she came to the side of the wooden box, she had to stifle a gasp. Vampires had always been depicted to her as gruesome lords of the undead. Yet what lay before her was not a pale, bony body, but the face of an angel. The seemingly young man in the coffin had finely sculpted features. He bore shoulder length raven black hair, sharply defined eyebrows, and long lashes. The only thing amiss with his beautiful profile was a look of stifling hatred etched into his perfect face.

As the young girl looked upon the handsome boy, she could not help but wonder what had caused such a look. Could vampires have nightmares too? She thought it a shame for him to stay that way. In that moment she wanted nothing more than to see him smile. She knew she would never again work up the courage to come to this place. She needed to talk to him now.

"Hello? Are you awake?" she whispered.

He didn't respond. She was beginning to second guess herself. Should she really wake him up? She knew her life could be in danger. She took a step back and turned around. Why was her heart beating so fast? She knew it was because she was beginning to be afraid. Why was she doing this? She didn't owe any therapy sessions to some spook in a box.

"GET OUT!"

She whirled around to see the young man sitting upright in the coffin. His red eyes were staring straight at her. He looked tired, but ready to fight.

"Why are you here? Leave!" he demanded.

"I-I'm sorry." The girl stuttered. "I didn't mean…I didn't think-"

He cut her off with a wave of his hand. She tried to finish her sentence, but there seemed to be an invisible wall keeping her unspoken words in her throat.

The young man looked at her for a long time. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I-I'm from town." she said, surprised that she could speak again. "My name is Melinda. Melinda Harvienheight."

Melinda thought it was quite curious, talking to a vampire, introducing herself like it was nothing.

"What century is it?" the young man asked, more calmly this time.

"The 21st century." Melinda replied. "Umm...what is your name?"

The young man did not immediately reply. Melinda felt as though he were sizing her up.

"Sven Von Fredericks." he finally answered.

Sven thought Melinda was very strange.

She was dressed in a light blue sports jacket, with a black sweater under it. Her jeans were a worn pair of dark wash Levi's with green patches sown on both legs. She was wearing black high-tops with rainbow laces, one of which was untied. Her curly strawberry blonde hair was tied back in a pony tail and fell to her waist. Her eyes were a light blue-green, like shallow oceans.

"Why are you cooped up in here?" Melinda asked.

"So your kind cannot find me."

_That worked out so well_, Sven thought to himself.

_My kind_? Melinda thought. _Then he really isn't human_!

"Are you… well…a vampire?" Melinda asked him.

"And if I am?" Sven asked.

Melinda just stared.

"You are, aren't you?"

"...Yes." he said.

Melinda tottered back on her heels. Now that he had admitted it, would he kill her?

"Leave." Sven said.

"Wha…?"

"Go. Get out of here. I cannot have a human hanging around."

Melinda instantly knew he was trying to protect her. But from what? An enemy? Himself? She wanted to stay and comfort this poor thing, kept in the darkness for so long.

"I don't want to go." Melinda stated, somewhat more bravely than she felt.

"What?" Sven thought it was incredulous, to want to stay here with a vampire. It may have been a long time ago, but he could remember his boyhood well enough. He knew this isn't where he would have wanted to be. Was it a sign of this new age? Or was this girl hiding from something?


	3. Chapter Two

"I don't want to go." Melinda restated.

Sven stared at her long and hard. Then it hit him. He hadn't fed in 700 years. It felt like a ton of lead had been dropped onto his stomach. Searing pain ripped through him like a bolt of ferocious lightning.

Melinda sucked in her breath as Sven doubled over in pain.

_What in the world is going on_? She asked herself.

Melinda began to walk towards him, but stopped when he weakly held up a hand.

"No closer. I don't know what I might do." he said through gritted teeth.

"What is wrong?" Melinda asked, starting to panic now.

"It has been too long since I last fed. I need nourishment."

"Um...you mean...blood?" she whispered as she began to back up.

Sven did manage to look up then. He wished he hadn't, for it made the hunger grow even more insistent. He could not bear the look in her panic stricken eyes, the paling of her face. To think, one who once had aspired to be something as noble as a knight could cause a woman to look like that.

Sven cursed himself for letting his curiosity get the better of him. He shouldn't have asked questions, he should have forced her to leave. And now, her life really was in danger. He had never let the lust for blood get this powerful before, and he really wasn't sure how long he could hold back before it took him over.

"Leave." he croaked.

Melinda dropped all her fear at the sound of the agony in Sven's voice. She hadn't taken the time to notice how in disrepair his clothing was. Tattered cloth was all that covered him. A long time in a wooden box would do that, she supposed.

As she looked at his now shivering form, tears began to fill her eyes. He was in so much pain. This was no act to lure her in, she knew. She could feel wave after wave of hurt come into him with each convulsion he gave. Was there nothing she could do to help this poor creature?

No, she decided. She had to do something.

"Sven? Is there anything I can do to help? Please, tell me." Melinda begged.

_Is she mad_? Sven thought. _Her life has never been in more danger, and she wants to help me?_

Melinda could see that it was taking everything Sven had to fight off the hunger. That thought pained her deeply. He was trying to protect her from himself.

She ran over to him and put her hands on his shoulders.

"Please!" she shouted, tears freely flowing down her face. "Please, let me help you! You aren't alone any more, so let me help!"

Sven looked up into her pale eyes, and with that statement, he broke. Not alone? She was willing to help him? How could any human act this way toward someone they had just met? Let alone be like this with a vampire. He couldn't even comprehend it. He knew he had to find someway to get her out of here.

"W-what time is it?" he managed to ask.

It had been nearly mid-day when Melinda had set out from her house. It had been many hours since then.

"After sundown." Melinda said. "Can you get up? I'll help you out of here, so you can...hunt."

Sven's red eyes met Melinda's blue ones, and then, like magic, he was gone.

"What? Wait! Where did you go?"


	4. Chapter Three

But Melinda was shouting at nothing but air, for Sven was many miles away, on the surface, and falling onto his first victim in seven centuries.

It was a young buck that he had sighted. He used what little power to numb the deer's entire body, so its death would be painless.

He drove his fangs into the side of the beast's neck, feeling its fur brush against his face. He felt the warm life's blood of the buck flowing down his throat.

It felt so good, to abate the hunger that had been gnawing at him. Pure joy, it was to feed upon another's life force.

When the animal had been sucked dry, Sven let go of it, and consciously realized, for the first time, that what he had caught was a male deer.

With a thought, Sven made the carcass burst into green flame, and it was turned into ash in seconds. After the flames had dissipated, Sven leaped into the nearest tree and settled down onto a large branch. He looked to the night sky, the moon already high in the air. It was chilly out. Sven thought back to the girl, and thought she was dressed to lightly for this weather.

He lay back for a few minutes, relaxing, taking in everything that had happened.

Melinda.

That was a pretty name, one that dated back to his time.

Now that Sven had time to think, he closed his eyes, and thought back to his dreams. He wanted to know more about this world.

When vampires dream they unconsciously see what is happening in the world around them. It was how Sven had kept track of his little village, after he was converted.

He looked back on the centuries that passed, seeing everything that had gone on in a split second.

This was no longer a world of kings and knights, he realized. He could never hope to blend in here. Everything was new and electronic.

Sven let out a sigh, and opened his eyes. He supposed he should do something about the girl. It would take her hours to navigate out of his little hiding place, and he could sense wolves deeper in the woods. Better not to take any chances. And he needed to make sure word of his existence never got out.


	5. Chapter Four

Sven willed himself back into the corridor outside his room. He could smell Melinda's tears and could hear her sobs.

He opened the door to see her weeping over the coffin. He stood there, in the door way, and waited for her to notice him.

Melinda could feel something behind her, looking at her. She turned around, and almost leaped for joy when she saw him, standing there, looking calm, complacent, and more importantly, healthy.

"I-I thought you had left." she choked out.

"I went to the surface to hunt." Sven answered.

"That fast?" she asked, amazed. "But it took me hours to get down here..."

"That is the power of the vampire."

Vampire. That's right. Sven was a vampire. Melinda couldn't believe it, as the weight of her situation came crashing down on her. She, Melinda Harvienheight, was talking to a mythical creature that people all over the world read and fantasized about.

"Umm..." Melinda wanted to talk to Sven, but she could not think of anything to say.

"Your clothes...they are kinda...ripped up. I might be able to get you some..."

Sven looked down at himself and realized how right she was.

"There is no need."

With a flick of his wrist, Sven moved his coffin across the floor to reveal a secret compartment beneath it.

Melinda's jaw dropped. Inside the cubby were fine clothes packed in with gold and jewels. Sven reached down and picked out something out of the nook. In a flash, he was fully clothed in the material he had just pulled out.

Sven's hair was now neatly tied back in a black ribbon. His pointed ears now showed clearly. He was dressed in a black sleeveless shirt decorated with golden buttons. His pants were also black as were his boots which were laced together with tightly woven golden fabric. A long, blood red cloak adorned his shoulders and fell to his ankles. The cloak was velvet and was fastened by a crest of a sword. Melinda then noticed that Sven's ear was pierced. The same sword that fastened his cloak hung from his right ear. The pommel of the tiny weapon was inlaid with rubies and the blade was pure gold. His outfit gleamed in the flickering light of the only torch in the room.

Melinda had to admit, this was pretty cool. Sven bent over the compartment again and pulled out a pouch and filled it with gold coins. He then took out a sword in a black sheath and fastened both items to his leather belt. Lastly, he very carefully took out a dagger in its worn leather sheath.

Sven looked at the blade for quite a while. This was the very dagger he had trained with all those years ago. He had managed to slip into the village for his belongings just once before he lay down to sleep for so long. The dagger and a few coins were the only things he had owned at the time. He had preserved the blade with his power. It didn't look a day older then did the night he had gone to retrieve it.

He kneeled down and slid the weapon into his left boot. It was then that he turned his attention to the staring Melinda.

"What are you gawking at?" he questioned, a little more forcefully than he meant to.

"Where...where did you get all of that?" she asked, awe struck.

"Before I went to my rest," he began, "I raided a castle that rested above this very spot."

"You killed a king and queen?" she cut in.

"I killed no one." Sven answered while glaring at the annoying girl. "I chased them out of the castle, took everything of value down to the cellar, and brought the entire complex down on top of itself."

"You can do that all by yourself?" Melinda once again interjected.

"Yes." Sven answered calmly, for he was getting used to her stupid questions. "I rested in the cellar you now stand in for seven centuries past."

"Wow. Hey... vampires are undead, right?" Melinda wondered aloud.

Sven said nothing, but did nod his head in agreement.

"How old were you when you died?" she continued.

"How old are you?" Sven countered, truly getting fed up with this conversation and he started to wonder why he was even telling her all these things? Why was he talking to a human he had only just met? Why was he letting her get to him? Why did he care? He was Sven Von Fredericks, an all powerful vampire, and the oldest living thing on the earth, assuming the man that converted him really had been the last before Sven himself. What did this little girl mean to the likes of him?

She was the only thing he knew.

If there was one virtue that Sven possessed, it was honesty. Everything of his old life was gone, and Melinda was the only thing he was vaguely familiar with. He wanted her around because of that. He knew that to be true, but he was honestly intrigued by this young woman, who was willing to cry for one of his kind.

"What do you mean, how old am I?" Melinda stormed right up to the vampire, so close that Sven could feel her breath on his face. "Don't you know that it is very rude to ask someone you've just met, especially a woman, something like that? I wont answer you question until you answer mine."

She turned away from him and crossed her arms. Sven was dumfounded. A little girl, willing to shout at a vampire? He found that very interesting, but he didn't want to get her to upset. He wanted her to stay for a while. After all, this was the only contact with an intelligent being he had experienced in over 700 years. What could answering one question hurt?

"I was sixteen." he said hesitantly.

Melinda turned around with a smile and laughed.

"Really? That is only two years older than me! I thought you would have been older."

Sven cocked an eyebrow and asked, "How is it that you can go from anger to laughter in a matter of seconds?"

Melinda just shrugged, as if it didn't really matter.

Sven hated to admit it, but it was getting very late. He knew he should return the girl to where she came from.

"It is dark. Where do you wish me to take you for the night? Where is your home?" he inquired.

Melinda's features slackened. She remembered the tantrum she had thrown at her father. No doubt he was worried about her.

"I live in a village a few miles from here. But I can't go back. I had a fight with my father." Melinda blushed as she said this. She was not accustomed to arguing with her dad.

"He must be out looking for you. We must make haste. There are wolves in the woods, and if your father is searching for you there, he may be in danger."

"Alright." She said, worried for her dad. "Let's go."


	6. Chapter Five

"Very well." Sven said.

He walked over to Melinda and scooped her up into his arms.

"Hey! Just what do you think you are doing? Put me down!" Melinda shouted.

Melinda knew she could be emotional sometimes, but she definitely did not need to be carried around every where. She could handle herself. She had become accustomed to the harsh life she lived, with just enough money for food, and even having to go out and find that sometimes.

Sven merely rolled his eyes at her.

"We must not waste time with your methods, human. I must be back before dawn."

Sven then leaped through the slightly open doorway and landed in a super-human run.

He knew teleporting to the surface would be faster, but he wasn't sure how a human body would hold up against his magical energies. Surely her mind would a hard enough time processing the speed at which they were going.

Melinda felt her hair whipping around her face as they hurtled through the corridors leading to the woods.

She felt sick at how fast they were going. This was had to be worse than a roller coaster.

She looked up at Sven's other worldly, yet beautiful face. Melinda found that her breath caught in her chest, now that she got a good look into his eyes.

They were blood red and depthless. What little light was in here from the torches that occasionally adorned the walls was reflected like thousands of orange lights, mingling with the sea of red in his eyes. His pupils were not circular, but rounded slits, much like a cat's.

Suddenly, Sven leaped into the air, startling Melinda from her reverie.

They burst through the very same hole Melinda had fallen in hours before.

As Sven landed, he noticed a heavy blush resting on the girl's cheeks. He supposed it was because she was not used to the speed they had traveled at.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Uhm…yes. I'm fine." Melinda blushed even harder when she realized that Sven was referring to her redness. She had never been that infatuated with anything, like she had been with Sven's eyes. She wondered if it was because they were so strange, or if they were really that appealing to her.

She had no more time to think on the subject though, because Sven then leaped high into the sturdy branches of a tree.

"Agh!" Melinda cried in surprise.

Sven went still…"Hush." he commanded her.

Melinda didn't really appreciate his tone of voice, or the way he commanded her, but did as he said. She could tell him off later.

Sven closed his eyes and searched for an older human's life force in the immediate area.

_To the south_, he thought. _I also sense animalistic beasts nearby. This cannot be good._

Sven leapt from branch to branch, tree to tree, as silently as if he were standing still.

Melinda wanted to protest, but kept quiet, for his leaps were not particularly jarring, just unnaturally long.

Sven continued to head in the direction of the human. Finally, they came upon a clearing.

A middle aged man stood on the western end of the tree line. He had an old lantern with him.

"Melinda! Melinda, where are you?" he was yelling.

_Fool._ Sven thought. Surely he knew how dangerous the forest could be at night.

Melinda's heart leaped at the sound and sight of her father. _He's ok!_ She thought excitedly.

"Papa!" She called to him, without thinking.

At that the man's head snapped up to look in the direction of his daughter's voice.

In the next moment, all hell broke loose.

One of the wolves Sven had picked up on leaped out from darkness and tackled the man.

"PAPA!" Melinda screamed.

Sven swore under his breath and leapt down from his perch. When he hit the ground, he dropped Melinda, leapt over her, and kicked out at the wolf, now chewing on the man's arm.

The beast flew away with a whimper, taking part of Melinda's father's arm with it.

Melinda got up and ran to her father.

She gasped. It was much worse than she had thought. When the wolf had leaped onto her father, it had dug its claws deep into his neck and lower back, and a good portion of his upper arm was missing.

She fell to her knees, sobbing. She gently turned her dear father over, seeing that he had also broken his nose when he had fallen.

"Oh, Papa…I am so sorry…" Melinda choked out between sobs.

Sven would have gone to help, but he had more pressing matters to attend to.

Melinda's father had unknowingly let the wolves surround him.

Sven could sense three more males. If he got rid of those, the rest of the pack would flee.

He leaped into the air, drawing his sword at the same time. He came down, silently gliding through the trees and positioned his sword with the blade down, and held out in front of him. He burst through the last layer of branches and learned that his calculations had been correct. A very large wolf, what Sven assumed was the alpha male was positioned right under his blade.

The creature did not even have time to look up before the blade sliced through its spine and came out through its stomach, killing it instantly.

Sven then concentrated on the other two males, which had worked their way to him, and were now circling hungrily.

He closed his eyes and tapped into his powers.

His body began to glow an eerie red, and he spread his arms, hands open, with his palms facing the wolves.

The red glow left the rest of his body, and swirled down to only his hands, as he focused his energy there.

The two wolves stopped circling when their bodies began to glow red as well.

The glow intensified, until with a disgusting squelching sound, the wolves' bodies ripped apart.

Sven pulled his blade out of the alpha male, and wiped it on what little of the beast's fur that wasn't covered in blood.

He could feel the other members of the pack withdrawing now. They wouldn't bother him again tonight.

He rushed back to the clearing to find Melinda crying softly over her father's broken and bloody body.

Sven could not pick up on the man's life force any longer.

"He's dead." Sven said softly.

Melinda couldn't speak, for she was sobbing too hard. Her chest hurt. Everything was tight and constricted.

Her father, her beloved father, who had given up everything to raise her, was gone.

She thought back to the look on her father's face when she had left the house earlier that day. She had never told him she was sorry. She hadn't been able to tell him how much she really loved him. She hadn't been able to say goodbye.

And now, she never would.


	7. Chapter Six

Melinda continued to weep over her father's body while Sven looked on helplessly.

This was his fault.

If he had thought things out ahead of time, this wouldn't have happened. He should have attacked the wolves immediately before they had done this much harm.

True, this was a tragic loss, but Sven had hardly known Melinda's father. However, seeing the girl weeping with such sorrow pained him.

Sven sheathed his sword and turned away from the humans. If he had not been here, Melinda would not have lost a loved one. He knew he shouldn't stay around her. He never wanted to bring anyone pain.

_The wolves will have gone back to their den. There is no need for me to remain here._ He thought.

Sven walked calmly towards the edge of the clearing.

"Wh-where are you going?" asked a very strained voice from behind him.

Sven looked over his shoulder. He wished he hadn't. Melinda's face was tear streaked and her lovely eyes were blood shot. Her hair stuck to her face and she was trembling violently.

"I must take to my rest. Dawn will be here soon." Sven replied. Once he got back to the tunnels, Sven planned to use his magic to assure that Melinda, and every other human, could never make their way into his lair again.

Melinda instinctively knew that if Sven left, she would never see him again. While Sven's face was completely stoic and emotionless, Melinda could just see the guilt swimming beneath the surface of his eyes.

Melinda knew Sven blamed himself for her father's death. But she didn't see it that way. And she had no intention of letting Sven feel that way either.

"Sven… please, help me b-burry…" Melinda's voice cracked at the word so she stopped and tried again. "Help me burry Papa."

Sven paused to consider that for a moment. Didn't he owe her that much, at least?

"Alright." He answered emotionlessly.

Sven turned and walked towards Melinda with extraordinary grace. Even in this situation, she couldn't help but gawk at him.

Sven stopped in front of her, refusing to meet her eyes, and picked up her father's limp and bloody body.

Melinda picked up her crying anew as Sven stood and walked towards the center of the clearing, not bothered at all by the man's weight.

He harnessed his energy and focused it in the ground, where a hole big enough for a man twice the human's size opened up. He lowered the body in his arms slowly into the fissure. Then, Sven closed up the ground again.

Melinda watched all this helplessly and without a word. After all, what could she say? If she hadn't been so stubborn, and had that fight with her father, this wouldn't have happened.

He was gone. Just like that. She cried harder. This was the end.

"Goodbye Papa. I love you." She whispered to the night.

Sven stood there silently, listening to Melinda's sobbing and thinking back to his own parents.

He hadn't seen them in over seven centuries. They were long gone. And he hadn't had time to say goodbye. He could sympathize with the girl's tears. But he hated the way the sobs cut through him like a knife. What in the world was wrong with him?

_I shouldn't feel this way for a human. What in all the hells is going on?_ He thought about it for a while, looking on the mortal man's grave.

He didn't have any idea. He'd never felt this way about anyone before.


	8. Chapter Seven

After a long moment of silence, broken only by the sobs of the young girl, Sven once again turned to look at the blonde.

"You should go home." He said quietly.

Melinda looked up and managed a weak smile. "I don't have a home to go to. P-Papa was all I had."

Sven closed his eyes and searched for a nearby cluster of humans. The nearest life force was miles from here. He slowly opened his eyes.

"I was under the impression you lived in a village. I don't think that is entirely possible, seeing as the nearest humans are leagues away."

Sven looked straight at the girl and almost gasped. Even after all she had been through, on her tear and blood streaked face, was a grin.

"Yeah. Sorry for lying. We lived on our own. There…wasn't enough money around to move to a populated area."

"Sven…" Hearing his name on Melinda's lips sent a shiver through him.

"Sven," she began again, "I don't have a home to go back to and I don't want to live in a homeless shelter. Will… you take me with you?" she hazarded.

Sven stood there in shock, eyes wide, not able to comprehend why a human woman would want to be near a vampire for so long. Not to mention she had an incredible talent for bluntness.

"Why in the world would you want to come with me?" he questioned.

"Well…you are nocturnal, and you drink blood. Sounds like a nice change of pace." She said in mock seriousness.

"Plus, you are the only other person I know well enough to stand living with. Now that I think about it that sounds kinda sad. I mean, I've only known you less than a day, not to mention-" Melinda snapped her mouth shut as soon as she realized she was babbling.

_It is amazing how quickly her emotions shift._ Sven said to himself.

"Do you have any idea of what you are asking? I am a vampire. Even if that were inconsequential, I have no experience in with the social or political handlings of this time period." Sven stated somewhat half-heartedly. He was torn between the instinctual desire to keep the girl close to him and the warnings going off in his head.

"Does it matter?" she retorted. "In case you haven't noticed, I happen to be dirt poor. I don't exactly have a lot of experience with 'social handlings' either." _Though, probably more than Sven, _she silently added.

Melinda just stared at him for a while, waiting for him to respond. When no answer to her question seemed to be forthcoming, she sighed.

"Well?" she asked. "What do you say to letting me tag along?"

Sven looked at her. He couldn't believe he was actually pondering the idea. Then again, he couldn't believe a lot of things that had happened in the last few hours. Everything in his soul told him to do what was best. Meaning he should protect the woman. But, wouldn't his presence just bring her trouble, as it already had? On the other hand, shouldn't he be there to prevent things like this from happening to her again? Didn't he owe her that much?

Moving past his sense of duty toward her…Sven honestly wanted to be around her. The light of day had tossed him aside forever, but looking at her, he could almost see the sun shining in her hair, feel its warmth on his face. Sven wanted to hold onto that feeling.

For some reason…he couldn't deny her.

Sven looked into her deep blue eyes and knew that it was true, though he had no idea why.

"You have no idea what you are getting yourself into." Sven mumbled.

Melinda stood and wiped the grime off her face. Then she smiled. "Maybe not…but I have a feeling I won't be bored."

Sven looked at her and sighed internally. _Oh well. I suppose I don't have much of an argument against that._ He thought.

"Alright. As you wish."

Sven had to fight the urge to cover his eyes, for the smile that now sat on the girl's face was blinding.

"Thank you!" She ran up to him and stopped herself in mid-hug. She awkwardly patted his shoulder instead.

"So," she continued, "dawn will be coming soon…shouldn't you go to bed?"

Sven shook his head in amazement before answering, "Yes. You should go and gather your things."

"Huh?" Melinda looked up at him confusedly.

"I have no attachment to this place…" he stole a quick glance at her, "and I doubt that you would be happy staying here. I plan on leaving tomorrow night. I'll come get you."

Sven looked towards the horizon. He needed to go. "Don't worry about the wolves. They won't be out again tonight. Get some sleep."

He turned around and just like that, was gone.

Melinda stood in shocked silence for a few moments. She had expected to be rejected. But, he was telling her to pack up and he would whisk her away somewhere. It was like she had walked into a fairy tale.

She was going to have to get used to him poofing in and out of existence like that she supposed.

She had a sudden fit of hysterical giggles. She knew this situation shouldn't be funny…but somehow she knew she had been waiting all her life for this chance.

She pulled herself together and set off towards her home, a determined gleam in her eyes. She was going to do this. She wouldn't back down. Tomorrow's eve would be the dawn of her new life.


	9. Chapter Eight

That night, Melinda packed everything she could, which didn't amount to very much. She dug out her old backpack, which was tattered and worn, but she didn't have anything else to use.

Melinda packed her clothes, what few toiletries she had and looked around her shabby one room shack.

_Well, I won't miss this,_ she thought.

The only other thing she packed was the only piece of jewelry she owned; a golden ring her father had left to her.

She slid the ring on her hand, her vision misting over. At least she had this as a memento of her father.

She looked out through one of the many holes in the wall. The sun was shining, just as it always had. Strange, that something she had seen every day of her life should look so different now. So much had changed in one night. Melinda knew, now that she would be traveling with Sven, she wouldn't get to enjoy the sunshine as much any more. She made a vow on that sunrise to get out and drink in the day from time to time.

After she was done packing, she curled up in a patch of sunlight shining through and fell asleep.

In what seemed like the next moment, something shook her awake and she opened her eyes.

To stare straight into deep red ones.

Melinda tried to scream, but out of thin air a hand appeared to cover her mouth.

"Hush." said a deep, velvety voice. "It's me."

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the lack of light. When they did, she gasped. All her memories of the pervious night came flooding back to her at the sight of Sven kneeling beside her.

When he saw the look of recognition in Melinda's eyes, Sven took his hand off her mouth.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yes." Melinda said quickly.

"Get your things, then." Sven said as he stood up.

Melinda scrambled up and hurried to grab her backpack. She noted that Sven also had a bag slung over his shoulder. She wondered where he'd gotten it.

"Where are we going?" she asked him.

"I had supposed you already had a location in mind." Sven replied.

Melinda thought about it for a moment. "Not really…well… I've always wanted to go to America."

Sven looked perplexed. "Where?"

"Oh." Melinda blushed. She had forgotten that the United States hadn't existed when Sven was awake. "Um…It is a country on a continent found after you… went to sleep."

Sven closed his eyes and thought back to his semi-aware dream state. She was right. The "New World" had been discovered after he had put himself to rest. He couldn't believe it. A whole continent. And now this "America" was the most powerful country in the world. 700 years really was a long time.

"…I don't have a problem with that… but you and I do not speak the language used there and I do not have any currency from this time," Sven stated. "How do you propose we go about this?"

_It is weird to have a vampire asking for my advice. _Melinda thought. "Okay. Let me think…wait. Can we use all that gold you had the other night?"

In response, Sven slipped the pack off his shoulder, his cloak fluttering with the movement. He opened it and displayed the contents to Melinda. Inside, were all the valuables she had seen in the cubby last night.

"Alright." Melinda took in a deep breath. "That is a start. First, we need to get that exchanged for usable money. Then…new clothes. We'll figure out the language thing later. After that…" she paused to breathe. "…We need to go to the nearest airport and get tickets to America. Umm…I know this is rude, but are you afraid of heights?"

Sven almost snorted. "Of course not." He answered haughtily.

"Good. Because we will be flying there."

Sven's eyes widened a bit. "Flying?"

"Yeah. That is what the tickets are for. They are plane tickets." Melinda thought for a moment. "A plane is…a big steel…umm…it's kind of like a boat. It holds people and things, and can travel long distances, except it is much faster because it flies through the air. I don't know exactly how it works, but it is supposed to be the safest way to travel. Don't worry; it will be my first time on one too."

_Amazing. Technology has advanced so far that humans are now able to achieve things that were once impossible, even to my kind._ Sven marveled at that for a while. Then he thought something was odd.

"…How much education have you had?" Sven asked the girl.

Melinda blushed at the sudden question. "I spent a little time at the community center to get down the basics in all of the core subjects…they offered free classes. But mostly I stayed home and helped around the house. Why?"

Sven thought about how to phrase this so as not to offend her.

"I had assumed as much. But your plan for travel seems…very knowledgeable and thought through for someone with no professional teaching and not much contact with others." He said hesitantly.

Melinda blinked. "Oh. Right. We used to go to town sometimes…and two week rentals at the library are free, so I'd check out a lot of books… I guess that's why." Melinda had never been worried about what she looked like to others, but she wondered if it was odd to Sven that she was a book worm.

Sven raised his eye brows at that. Melinda didn't look like that bookish type…but perhaps she was smarter than she appeared.

"Tell me," Sven started "Does this library have books on languages?"


End file.
